Hit Your Goal? Learn How You Can Keep the Weight Off with the Jenny Craig Maintenance Program

By
Stephanie E - Jenny Craig

You’ve finally done it. You’ve hit your goal weight! *Virtual high five!* You’ve been dedicated and focused and put time and energy into reaching this achievement — so now what?

When you’ve accomplished something this important, the last thing you want to do is to lose that progress you’ve made by falling back into old habits — which is why the Jenny Craig maintenance program can help keep you on the right track. On the program, you’ll move away from weight loss and begin focusing on maintaining your goal weight. The Jenny Craig maintenance program is designed to teach you how to sustain your goal and show you how you’ll apply what you’ve learned to your everyday life. And you won’t have to do it alone — a dedicated consultant will provide you with one-on-one support every step of the way.

What is the Jenny Craig maintenance program?

Once you’ve reached your goal weight, your new journey begins. Maintaining your weight and healthy lifestyle are the keys to your long-term success. Jenny Craig’s maintenance program aims to support you at your goal weight with a combination of personalized consultations and nutritionist-designed menus. This program is the best tool to help you build your confidence and knowledge of the healthy strategies you’ll continue using long after you’ve achieved your goal.

Why it’s important to maintain your weight

Whether your goal was to lose 16 pounds or 60, there are plenty of health benefits associated with weight loss. New research suggests gradually losing even 5 to 10 percent of your weight may provide these and other benefits, especially for those who are overweight or obese:1-3

Reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes

Lower blood sugar levels

Ease joint pain

By actively maintaining your weight, you’re giving yourself the best opportunity to continue enjoying all the benefits of your weight loss, now and in the future.

Here’s what you can expect from the Jenny Craig maintenance program:

Receive personalized weight maintenance consultations

Jenny Craig’s ability to offer private, one-on-one consultations sets them apart from other weight maintenance programs. Your consultant is the strong support system you’ll need to learn new maintenance strategies and continue using the ones you’ve already put into practice.

During your first month: You’ll meet with your consultant once a week to monitor your transition from weight loss into weight maintenance.

Two months and beyond: Once you feel confident maintaining your weight, you may only need to meet with your consultant once per month.

Enjoy a new maintenance menu

Once you reach your goal weight, you’ll want to stabilize it. Continue eating fresh, healthy foods and be mindful of your portion sizes. You can also continue to enjoy Jenny Craig meals and snacks as part of your daily menu planning for both the convenience and an ongoing model of portion control. You’ll gradually move away from a combination of weight loss and maintenance menus that include Jenny Craig meals and snacks to seven days of maintenance menus that focus on your own foods.

Did you know? According to the National Weight Control Registry, 78% of maintainers make their first meal of the day a top priority, so be sure to eat breakfast daily.5

Learn helpful ways to manage your stress

High levels of stress can potentially derail the healthy habits you’ve adopted. You’ll learn tips on how to manage it with the Jenny Craig maintenance program. One of the key techniques you’ll learn is how to practice mindfulness, which involves paying attention to your thoughts and feelings. It’s not just a great tool for weight loss — engaging in mindfulness exercises allows you to tune into the present to handle your stress head-on without being distracted by the past or future.6

Add physical activity to your day

Physical activity is another important part of the equation when it comes to successfully maintain your weight. For weight maintenance, we recommend 45 to 60 minutes of activity on most days with a combination of cardio, strength training and stretching for the best results. If you’re just beginning to add exercise into your routine, take it slow – these videos are a great place to start. Remember to always consult your physician before starting a new exercise program.

Beyond weight maintenance, regular exercise may help you to:7

Reduce your risk of heart diseases

Manage your blood sugar and insulin levels

Strengthen your bones and muscles

Improve your sleep

Research indicates that individuals who are less active are more likely to gain weight over time, compared to people who exercise between 150 and 300 minutes each week.8

Quote

Did you know? According to the National Weight Control Registry, 90% of weight maintainers exercise, on average, one hour per day.9 If you’re wondering where to start, check out our Beginner’s Guide to Exercise.

Transform your way of thinking

Hitting your goal weight is an incredible achievement, and maintaining that weight is just as profound. Sustaining your goal weight takes planning and practice. You’ve made positive changes to your health and lifestyle, so go ahead and celebrate (try these non-food rewards) – you deserve it! This is a great time to reflect on your “before” and “after.” What are some physical or emotional changes you’ve experienced after your weight loss?

Do you have a new favorite outfit?

Do you feel like you have more energy?

Is it easier to be active?

Savor these victories and use them to help you stay motivated throughout your weight maintenance journey.

Quote

Did you know? Maintainers tend to follow the same healthy eating habits on weekdays, weekends, and even holidays. So be consistent and make corrections as you need them. If you notice your weight fluctuating, check in with your consultant – you may need to adjust your portions or activity level.

Stephanie Eng-Aponte

Stephanie Eng-Aponte is a copywriter for Jenny Craig, based in Carlsbad, CA. They’ve focused on writing within the health and wellness space for the last several years, but have dabbled in the tech and environmental industries. Stephanie graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Media Studies. Stephanie employs a “eat first, write later” approach to food blogging and enjoys the occasional Oxford comma. Outside of writing, you can find Stephanie photographing a muttley crew of rescue pups, brewing kombucha, or exploring San Diego.

Favorite healthy snack: Green apple slices with sunflower butter.

1

Quote

Quote

Quote

This article is written by experienced health and lifestyle contributors and reviewed by certified professionals.

Our goal at Jenny Craig is to provide the most up-to-date and objective information on health-related topics, so our readers can make informed decisions based on factual content. All articles undergo an extensive review process, and depending on the topic, are reviewed by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Nutritionist, to ensure accuracy.

This article contains trusted sources. All references are hyperlinked at the end of the article to take readers directly to the source.